Able2Know Cookbook Recipe Contest

Just added another:

Crab Dip

An easy griller for the book:

Hoisin-Orange Pork (serves 4)

4 bone-in loin pork chops, or 2 good sized tenderloins

Marinade:
1/4 cup hoisin sauce
2 tbsp. plain rice vinegar
1 tbsp. medium soy sauce
juice and finely grated rind of 1 orange
2 garlic cloves (optional)
1 tsp. finely chopped fresh ginger
a few drops sesame oil

Mix marinade ingredients together. Marinate pork 3-4 hours or overnight. Grill to desired doneness. I like them barely over a true pink, so they stay juicy. Serve with colourful lightly steamed veggies, like a mix of yellow baby pattypan squash, snap peas, baby carrots on the bunch, with a touch of green attached, and fresh shelled summer peas. A salad of shaved fennel (and throw in the fronds), radish and arugula in a simple white wine vinaigrette would round things out nicely. Eat outdoors. If you need starch, serve some bread or steamed Jasmine rice on the
side.

Hi All!!

Sorry I've been MIA,...darn network blew here in the house,..couldn't get on line for almost two weeks!!

Cav- That sounds great!!

In the hopes of inspiring more posts for the contest, I offer a couple of recipes for the book. My brother was married this weekend to a lovely Japanese girl, and her family came in from Japan for the festivities. I catered the after-party last night, and this was the showcase, enjoyed by all:

MARINATED SESAME CRUSTED RARE-ROASTED BEEF TENDERLOIN
(serves a crowd)

2 whole Angus beef tenderloins, approx. 5 lbs. each, tied

Marinade:
2 1/3 cups Kikkoman regular soy sauce
3/4 cups sake
1/2 cup sugar

Crust:
3 cups dry roasted white sesame seeds
2 cups black sesame seeds

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Mix marinade ingredients together and whisk until sugar is dissolved. Place tenderloins in a large pan to fit both and pour marinade over them. Cover and marinate 1 hour. Flip tenderloins and marinate 1 hour more. Flip again and remove from marinade. Mix sesame seeds together and place on a large tray, spread out. Roll drained tenderloins in sesame mix to coat evenly. Roast on a rack, on a foil-lined baking tray for 20-25 minutes. Keep very rare, like seared tuna. Let roasts come to room temperature. Slice thin, arrange on a platter and enjoy. As a condiment, I served a spicy cucumber sunomono, but ponzu sauce is nice as well.


And a summer bonus:


RASPBERRY CLAFOUTIS
(serves 8)

Equipment: 8 shallow fluted ceramic ramekins

2 quarts raspberries, approximately

Batter:
4 eggs
4 oz. sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
pinch salt
1 Tbsp. rum
4 oz. flour
12 oz. milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Lightly butter and flour your ramekins.

Whisk eggs and sugar together vigorously until foamy. Add vanilla and rum. Add flour and salt and whisk until smooth. Slowly pour in the milk, whisking well to keep the batter smooth.

Place ramekins on a tray. Arrange the raspberries in the ramekins, leaving space for the batter to go around all the berries. Pour the batter over the berries and gently press them down so the batter covers the fruit. Bake 35-45 minutes, or until puffed and lightly browned. Dust with icing sugar and serve right away.

Tell me more ...
Hello, everyone! I am new to this forum but I love the idea of the cookbook! I need info on how to submit a recipe ... or how to read those already submitted. Hope I'm not too late to get in on the fun! Thanks in advance for your responses!

Hi Tootsie. Welcome to A2K! I would suggest reading the first 2 pages of this thread for more details regarding the contest. Your recipes should be posted as a separate thread in the Food and Drink forum, specifying category in the title. Either Jerry or I will catch it. Good luck!

So, how's the cook book coming along anyway?

Slowly but surely littlek. Sadly, we do not have nearly enough recipe entries for either the contest or the book, but it plugs along. Hoping jerry will check in soon so we can evaluate.

cav,

I tried your raspberry clafoutis at a dinner party on Saturday - it was fantastic! I substituted Kirsch for rum, to give more fruit flavour and it was wonderful.

Thanks. I'll have to post some recipes soon, myself...just haven't been around a2k due to access problems (working away from home).

KP

Thanks KP! Kirsch is perfect. I've also used kirsch, brandy and Irish whiskey in place of rum, depending on my mood, and what's on hand. The same recipe works equally well with blueberries, and wild blueberries are particularily good.

I wish I used recipes, I just wing stuff and that doesn't translate well into written directions.

littlek, if you go back to the first couple of pages here, you will see that Jerry and I agreed that 'on the fly' creations would be considered. All you need to do is submit a list of ingredients, no measurements required, and describe how you did whatever it was you did. We'll test them out We thought it would be a good idea, as a lot of people cook that way, including us pros.

Oho! Ok.

Oooh will think of more. Didn't know you were short on recipes.

Hi All!!

Just sent out a group e-mail t let you know where I've been,..let's just say that my computers had a little "episode", and it took a while to get them straightened out.

I am taking an (overdue) break from work this week, so I will be in and out alot,...will do my best to catch up with y'all.

Cav- I love clafoutis,..recipe looks great!


The good news is that I was able to test most of the recipes posted so far, and they're all good!!

Thinking about extending the contest ending date (maybe sept 30) so that we can push for some more entries,..let me know what you think!

I hope you've all been enjoying your summer, it's been a nutty one here.

So far 21 dinners on my bosses boat (20 people each time), in Boston, Martha's Vineyard and Portsmouth, NH., not to mention a couple of big fundraisers here in town. Oh,..and I had to make dinner for Justin and Christina when they were performing in town,..I didn't think I was going to like them,..but they were very sweet!!

Off to check out the site,..see y'all soon.

I definitely vote for an extension - lots of people have been out for much of the summer, plus there was the implementation of A2K 2.0 and the blackout.

Oh, and um, I need to think up more recipes.

It seems we are plugging along. safecracker has posted several recipes, all of them look good. An extension is a great idea. Jerry, KitchenPete tried out the clafoutis for a dinner party and it worked out great. Also, if you don't send me your contacts, I may have to kill you Sounds great, my man....what does Christina look like up close?

Cav,

Been reading through today's entries, safecracker's and ossobuco's posts all look great!

So let's extend the ending date to 9/30, and take it from there. I'd like to have the books ready for the holidays, and it's at least a month's "turn-around" time. I'll edit the instruction post accordingly!


Christina's very pretty, (so is Justin,...hahaha!),..both were very nice, polite and gracious.
(I worked for ten years in a restaurant beside the Four Season's Hotel,..we dealt with mega celebs, they are either very sweet, or really nasty ,..these two get into the sweet category! )

I think I will add some more over time as well, what can I say? I love food.

Sounds cool Jerry...lemme think...Christina's pretty, talented, rich, a Scorpio....definite mistress material...I would guess Justin is too :wink: